Danny the Dragon rides again at Happy Hollow in San Jose

Danny the Dragon has been an iconic ride at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo since it opened at San Jose’s Kelley Park in 1961. But even icons need an occasional refresh — especially after 64 years.

This week, Happy Hollow unveiled the “reimagined” Danny the Dragon ride to the public, with a special event Tuesday morning that followed a reception for donors and other VIPs on Monday evening.

“For more than 64 years, Danny the Dragon has been part of childhood memories,” Happy Hollow General Manager Kiersten McCormick Manuel said. “From field trips to weekend outings, this ride and this park and zoo hold deep sentimental value for generations of families.”

Young kids and their adults have long flocked to the ride.  It’s a seven-car train in the form of a green-and-white dragon — or maybe it’s the other way around — that would take riders on a pleasant, seven-minute journey dotted with storybook scenes from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “The Three Little Pigs.” Decades of wear-and-tear had certainly been showing for a while — and the fantasy theme didn’t line up with Happy Hollow’s current conservation-minded mission.

After the $600,000 refresh, the ride now travels through different “lands” with features including a San Jose Family Camp tent, a red barn dedicated to late builder Barry Swenson, a farmhouse surrounded by giant carrots, a watermill in a shiny “river” of sparkling rocks, a pyramid in a South American rainforest and finally a land of enchantment where a unicorn stands guard and giant trolls peek out from underground.

Danny still travels through a fluorescent green, gem-laden tunnel as he makes his way back to San Jose, with familiar sights like the Winchester Mystery House, San Jose City Hall and Happy Hollow’s famed “Crooked House.” (Those are currently represented by poster stand-ups, but they’ll eventually be replaced by 3-D replicas and more animal figures will be added along the route.)

Monday evening’s reception was attended by many contributors to the capital campaign — a first for Happy Hollow Foundation. Their names are on “scales” that cover a wall near the ride.

San Jose City Councilmembers David Cohen, Bien Doan, Rosemary Kamei, Michael Mulcahy and Carl Salas joined donors including Molly Swenson, Jimm Vosburgh, Ron Cali, Marianne Salas and Lissa Kreisler — as well as mascot Danny the Dragon — to cut the ribbon on the ride.

Another ribbon-cutting was held Tuesday morning, as the ride opened to crowds of waiting kids, with Councilmember Doan joined by Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong and Jon Cicirelli, San Jose’s director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services.

CRUISE ON BY: The 22nd annual Shiny Side Up Bike Show will roll into History Park in San Jose on Sunday. The show is produced by the Cruiser Shop that Dominick Guida has owned and operated in Campbell for the past 12 years. It features hundreds of custom and vintage bikes, along with BMX shows, a classic car display and lots of bike-related kids activities.

The show runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at History Park — which like Happy Hollow is also at Kelley Park on Senter Road. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5 to 9 and free for kids 4 and younger. Go to www.historysanjose.org/programs-events to purchase tickets or get more information.

CLANDESTINE READING: Spy novelist Daniel Silva will introduce readers to his latest book, “An Inside Job,” and have a conversation with CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel — who also happens to be his wife — at the Campbell Heritage Theatre on Friday .

The 7 p.m. event, which will include a Q&A session and a book-signing, is part of the Santa Clara County Library District’s Distinguished Author Series.

You can register to attend the free event at sccld.org/DanielSilva, but it may be worth it to arrive early. The first 200 people in line at the theater will have the chance to get a free copy of “An Inside Job,” his latest in a series featuring Israeli spy Gabriel Allon. Books, Inc. also will have other Silva books for sale at the event.